Telephonic communications – Centralized switching system – Call distribution to operator
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-18
2004-03-16
Smith, Creighton (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Centralized switching system
Call distribution to operator
C379S201010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06707905
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to automated work item distribution systems and particularly to automated work item distribution systems for a geographically distributed work force.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There continues to be pressing need for automated work distribution systems that provide optimized or near optimized distribution of labor resources among a plurality of geographically distributed jobs. For example, taxi companies have a highly mobile work force that must be matched with a geographically distributed clientele with differing service needs. Although dispatchers select a client in the taxi driver's general area, the dispatching process is typically not automated, and the performance of the taxi driver is not well tracked and managed. Service levels are typically not a consistently applied consideration in making such work assignments. Moreover, less desirable drivers are often assigned to a client when more desirable drivers are available, leading to a lower level of service for the client and idle or inefficiently used drivers. These results are manifested typically in higher operating and capital costs and lost business due to customer dissatisfaction. Other examples of such roaming work forces include service personnel (e.g., plumbers, telephone service personnel, cable service personnel, computer maintenance personnel and building maintenance personnel), delivery services (e.g., Federal Express™, United Parcel Service™, and consumer retail storefronts), and sales operations.
Although work distribution algorithms are available for centrally located work forces, such as in call centers, such algorithms are unsuitable for roaming work forces. Call centers currently allocate excess work by choosing the next work to be allocated based on predetermined criteria, such as maintaining the business service levels (based upon predicated availability of agents/workers). Compared to a static work force, roaming work forces typically have longer durations of jobs (e.g., a worker might do a couple of jobs an hour or as few as a couple of jobs a day), require roaming workers to have not only the skills to perform the job but also the required (consumable) resources, tools, etc. (which often must be obtained before the job can be completed), and suffer from significant amounts of employment time being consumed by traveling between jobs. With mobile workers the use of call center algorithms will result in less than optimal work performance because travel time will start to dominate work time (workers will be sent to jobs all over the place rather than near where they currently are).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments and configurations of the present invention. The present invention relates to a methodology for optimizing the assignment of geographically distributed work items to mobile resources for serving those work items at their respective geographic locations.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method of assigning the plurality of resources to the plurality of work items is provided that includes the steps of:
(a) selecting a first work item from the plurality of work items;
(b) determining for the first work item a set of estimated wait times, each estimated wait time corresponding to one or more of the plurality of resources and comprising a respective time for the corresponding resource to relocate from at least a first location to a second location corresponding to the location the work is to occur at; and
(c) assigning one or more of the resources to the first work item based, at least in part, on the estimated wait time corresponding to the resource. These steps are typically repeated for each item in the plurality of work items prior to, during, or after the performance of the assignment step for another work item.
The determining step is typically performed by comparing a capability level of each of the plurality of resources with one or more required capability levels to service the selected item.
The estimated wait times can include a number of components besides the relocation time. For example, the estimated wait time can include a time for a corresponding resource to complete a current item, a time for a corresponding resource to prepare for serving the selected item, and/or a present wait time for the selected item in a respective queue. The preparation time is typically nonzero where the resource requires objects (e.g., tools or supplies) to serve the selected item and some of the objects are not in the resource's on-hand inventory.
The assigning step can include the step of assigning a corresponding value to each of the plurality of work items. The value can be based on any suitable parameters. Examples include (a) the estimated income that will be derived from the work item, (b) the priority of the customer (corresponding to the work item) and/or a first class of customers of which that customer is a part, (c) at least one service goal for the customer, (d) a service goal for the class of customers, (e) a level of attainment of a service goal for the customer, (f) a level of attainment of a service goal for the class of customers, (g) a service goal for the work item, (h) a service goal for the class of work items of which the work item is a part, (i) a level of attainment of a service goal for the work item, (j) a level of attainment of a service goal for the class of work items, and/or (k) an estimated wait time in a queue.
The assigning step can be performed by selecting the work item with the highest value among the plurality of work items. A suitable resource having the lowest corresponding estimated wait time is then typically assigned to the work item.
The present invention further includes systems for performing the above methodologies.
These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of the invention(s) contained herein. The methodology of the present invention is typically automated and can effectively track and manage mobile resources. Service levels can be applied uniformly in matching work items with resources. Because of more effective utilization of resources, the methodology can lead to a higher level of service for the client, leading to increased business levels and lower capital and operating costs, and fewer idle or inefficiently used resources when compared to conventional work assignment systems. The methodology of the present invention considers the unique characteristics of a roaming/mobile work force when compared to a static work force. Specifically, the estimated wait time algorithm of the present invention effectively considers the longer durations of jobs in a roaming work force, the need for the roaming worker to have not only the skills to perform the job but also the required (consumable) resources, tools, etc. (which often must be obtained before the job can be completed), and the significant amounts of time that can be consumed by traveling between jobs.
The above-described embodiments and configurations are neither complete nor exhaustive. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
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Avaya Technology Corp.
Sheridan & Ross P.C.
Smith Creighton
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